What helps against sweating?

Especially in summer, you have to deal with it whether you like it or not: sweat. Sweat not only stands for unpleasant body odor but also, among other things, for unwanted stains on clothing. What to do? From the outside, deodorant, antiperspirant, and breathable clothing help; from the inside, a healthy diet can also help regulate sweating.

Why humans sweat Normally, body temperature is in balance. Especially at sweltering temperatures in summer, during physical activity, or psychological stress, body temperature rises. To restore balance, excess heat is secreted through the pores in the form of sweat. This cools the body and allows the temperature to normalize. Sweating is therefore vital. Incidentally, toxins are also excreted through perspiration. This happens, for example, during a winter sauna session – the body is cleansed from the inside. Freshly sweated sweat is odorless – the foul smell only arises as soon as the body fluid is decomposed by bacteria living on the skin. To dispel or mask the sometimes truly pungent odor, deodorants or antiperspirants are used. Many hygiene products are a mixture of deodorant and antiperspirant that destroy bacteria living on the skin, thus fighting against sweat odor. This article explains the differences between the two personal care products and contains tips on what else can be done against sweating.

The deodorant against sweat odor

Deodorants can reduce the growth of sweat-decomposing bacteria through anti-bacterial agents and alcohol, thereby preventing body odor. In short, they simply mask the unpleasant sweat odor with perfume.

Benefits:

But that's not all; antimicrobial agents can unfortunately also throw the natural microbial flora of our skin out of balance. Deodorants usually also contain agents that absorb odor, moisture-absorbing raw materials, as well as enzyme blockers that render the bacteria's enzymes ineffective. Certain enzymes are required for the decomposition of sweat. Some deodorants also contain enzyme inhibitors (e.g., triethyl citrate) or perfume oils (these provide a pleasant scent).The antiperspirant against sweat formation

Disadvantages:

Since these preparations have an antiperspirant effect, they are significantly more effective than deodorants. The sweat pores are narrowed by aluminum salts, which means that less sweat can be excreted and the bacteria lack the basis for life. These aluminum salts can reduce the amount of sweat by 20 to 50 percent. Furthermore, antiperspirants have a growth-inhibiting effect on bacteria. However, aluminum salts are controversial; there is a suspicion that they increase the risk of breast cancer.

A sweat blockage can occur, which can lead to itching or skin irritation.

Benefits:

Correct use of deodorants and antiperspirants:

Disadvantages:

The correct use of deodorants and antiperspirants is a prerequisite for them to work:

Only apply to freshly washed skin

Subsequent application does not help anymore

• Shave the hair under the armpits (the odor-causing bacteria can fully develop in the hair!)
• Do not apply deodorant for 12 hours after shaving or epilation – otherwise, it could lead to skin irritation
• What else can I do against sweating?
• If you tend to sweat heavily, you can also achieve a lot with the right diet and clothing:

You should avoid the following foods:

alcoholic beverages

spicy foods

• Coffee
• Tea
• Use natural, breathable materials like
• Hygiene:

Clothing:

Frequent washing of worn clothing.

• Cotton
• Linen

If an extreme amount of sweat is released by the body and it leads to a restriction in quality of life, one should inform themselves about the topic of Botox against excessive sweating. In this treatment, the nerve/sweat gland interface is targeted so that nervous, emotional sweating is suppressed. Normal sweating during physical activity remains largely unaffected. You can find information here:

Botox against excessive sweating at JUVENIS

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Posted on: 03.06.2011

on What helps against sweating?

Read also: 10 tips for the heat

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